NFLPA ASKS FULL PANEL TO REHEAR ELLIOTT CASE

The NFL players’ union has issued notice that it will request an en banc hearing — a hearing of the full panel of judges with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — on behalf of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. In addition, the union will request that Elliott’s six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations, which had been restored by a 2-1 vote of a 5th Circuit panel Thursday, be stayed while request for the en banc hearing is considered.

The NFLPA — as confirmed on the 5th Circuit’s website — says it has 14 days to file its petition for an en banc appeal hearing, during which time Elliott’s suspension would not be in place, assuming the court stays the suspension while it considers the request.

A petition for a rehearing en banc “is to be used only for cases involving questions of exceptional importance or to secure or maintain uniformity of the court’s decisions,” according to the 5th Circuit’s website, which also says the court “is fully justified in imposing sanctions on its own initiative for petitions which have little merit.”

The NFL announced Thursday that Elliott’s suspension was effective immediately, though the appeals process still has to run its course and the Cowboys are not playing this weekend.

Levy testifies about silence. Former Lions linebacker Deandre Levy testified before Democratic members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on the Judiciary, saying the franchise tried to silence him from talking about brain injuries, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and the NFL.

Levy’s testimony came during a forum about football and brain injuries with doctors, brain-injury specialists and former NFL players.

Langi, wife in car accident.

MASS.» Patriots FOXBOROUGH, rookie defensive end/linebacker Harvey Langi and his wife were involved in a car accident that involved serious injuries but which are not considered to be life-threatening.

The two were stopped at a traffic light when they were rear-ended by another vehicle.